Unit 62 (Pine Creek)
Oregon Hunting Guide — Bear, Elk, Pronghorn
Pine Creek is a spring bear hunt shared with Units 53 and 63, running from Cornucopia down to the Snake River and Brownlee Reservoir. Most of the ground is public, with summits above nine thousand feet.
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Bear Hunting in Unit 62
Pine Creek is a spring bear hunt shared with Units 53 and 63, running from Cornucopia down to the Snake River and Brownlee Reservoir. Most of the ground is public, with summits above nine thousand feet.
Where to Find Black Bear in the Pine Creek Unit: from Eagle Mountains to the Snake
A tall divide above a deep river
ODFW's walk starts at Cornucopia and follows the summit of the Eagle Mountains past Red Mountain, Crater Lake, Krag Peak and Jackson Peak. It then runs to Hawkins Pass, follows the Imnaha River, and reaches the Snake River at Thirty-two Point Creek. The Snake takes it south to the Powder River arm of Brownlee Reservoir, and Sag Road and Hwy 86 close the loop. Krag Peak reaches 9053 ft, and the low end sits at 1811 ft.
What ODFW says about bears here
ODFW's forecast calls bear numbers strong in all units and says fall bear hunters do best in the higher areas of the Keating and Pine Creek units on the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. That's the most direct statement in the forecast for this ground. This hunt is a spring season, so the high-elevation berry patches are a fall story. Early on, you're looking at what lies between Brownlee and the summits. Halfway, Richland, Joseph and Council are the nearest towns, and OR 413, Homestead Road and Sag Road are among the named roads. Most of the unit is public land, and the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Vale BLM and ODF maps show where the lines fall.
The ground ODFW draws for this hunt
The Pine Cr Unit, WMU 62, covers about 377 square miles measured on ODFW's polygon, and ODFW rates it 76% public land. Named features inside the line fall in Baker County and Wallowa County. Elevation runs from about 1,811 to 9,053 feet. The highest named points are Krag Peak (9,053 ft), Jackson Peak (8,571 ft) and Sugarloaf Mountain (7,969 ft). ODFW's line is the legal one, so check it against a current land-ownership map, and get permission before you cross private ground or a locked gate inside it.
Unit 62 terrain and land status
Measured from the unit boundary, not from the agency write-up
The lay of it
- 2,722–6,935 ft on a terrain sample , averaging 4,094 ft ; peaks can run higher. That spread means you can hunt two seasons in one day — plan clothing for both ends.
- 377.2 sq mi inside the boundary.
Who owns the ground
- National Forest — 60%
- BLM — 15%
- State Trust — 8%
- Private / Other — 17%
Roughly 83% is public. Carry a land-status layer anyway — these are area percentages, not a map of where the boundaries fall.
Water on the ground
- 7 tanks
- 2 springs
- 21 stream segments
- 11 lakes
Counts from mapping data, so this is how many exist, not how many hold water in a dry year. Sitting water only pays where you find fresh tracks.
Named features inside the unit
Glass from: Krag Peak (9,053 ft), Jackson Peak (8,571 ft), Sugarloaf Mountain (7,969 ft), Russel Mountain (7,491 ft)
Holding ground: Schneider Meadows (5,620 ft), Deadman Canyon (5,236 ft), Grouse Flat (4,174 ft), McGraw Spring, Gregg Spring
Every one of these was tested against the unit polygon before it went on the map. They are starting points, not agency recommendations.
How to Hunt Black Bear in the Pine Creek Unit: climb with the green-up
Bear Success Rates
Unit 62: 15 of 163 hunters, 9%. Figures are ODFW's own 2025 harvest statistics.
Bear Draw Odds
| Season | Tags | Applicants | Draw % | Pts Req |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archery — Controlled either sex (resident) | 495 | 935 | 50.4% | 6 |
| Archery — Controlled either sex (nonresident) | 25 | 60 | 40.0% | 6 |
Data from 2025 draw results. Each row is one residency pool — read the label before the number.
Open in Draw Odds EngineFrom ODFW's 2026 regulations, residents and nonresidents together: 2026 tags against 2025 first-choice applicants.
- 762A Pine Cr - Keating - Catherine Cr: 495 tags for 2026; 995 first-choice applicants in 2025.
ODFW sets a point cut-off per hunt each year; its point summary reports carry it.
Unit Logistics & Expectations
Frequently Asked Questions
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What ground does this Oregon pronghorn page cover?
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Upgrade to Pro — $49/yrSources & Verification
Every fact on this page is tied to a primary source below. Last fact-checked 2026-10-30.
- 2026 Oregon Big Game Hunting Regulations — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunt areas and boundary descriptions, Seasons, bag limits and 2026 tags · accessed 2026-10-30
- Big Game hunting forecast, 2026/27 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Field reports by hunt area and WMU · accessed 2026-10-30
- Big game hunting harvest statistics, 2025 — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: Hunters, harvest and success · accessed 2026-10-30
- Wildlife Management Units (ArcGIS) — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife · supports: 377 square miles · accessed 2026-10-30
- Geographic Names Information System — named features inside the boundary — U.S. Geological Survey · supports: Krag Peak 9,053 ft, Jackson Peak 8,571 ft · accessed 2026-10-30